STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Angela "Big Ang" Raiola is in a "war for her life," according to family and friends.

Ang, who stars on the VH1 show "Mob Wives," is battling stage 4 brain and lung cancer but treatment is doing little to stop the cancer from spreading, according to a GoFundMe page created by her sister, Janine Detore.

On the page, Detore wrote that "one tumor grew larger" and that she would need to start immunotherapy this week.

Soon after, Ang was taken to the emergency room with labored breathing and pain, the page stated.

The fundraiser page is asking for help in providing Ang with cannabis oil as an alternative pain reliever, since "the amount of pain she is having is by far more than she could handle," Detore wrote on the page.

Reached by phone last week, Ang's husband Neil could only say she wasn't doing well, but couldn't comment further; neither could her long-time friend and attorney Stephen Spinelli.

Last week, her co-stars on "Mob Wives"gave an update on Ang's health to fans, in which Karen described Ang as in a "war for her life." The unusually somber cast praised Ang's resiliency and optimism, saying Ang was already planning their next outing.

As recent as yesterday, Ang was posting to social media, even retweeting a fan who spotted her at the store.

Though a controversial figure for her own criminal record and alleged mob ties, Ang is generally well-loved in the community for her charity work and dedication to fans. In person, she's considerably more affectionate than she is on the show -- a trait many fans point to in their defense of her.